CHAPTER 16: THE STORM

About two years later... (Act II)

Three years, have I really been here that long? How could that much time pass so quickly. It seems like just yesterday I had arrived here and then we had been scuffling along underground. Then, all but invading a nobles home and causing general chaos And still I haven't been any closer to figuring out anything as to why I'm here, or if my family is alright.

For awhile everyone seemed to drift apart, doing their own things, but eventually though we all came back together at the Hanged Man. We did lose one though, Carver, he betrayed his brother in the worst way ever. He joined the Templar's. He was the only one that never returned to the Hanged Man. And Garrett never spoke about him to anyone.

His own brother had joined up with those monsters that were out for his head. This entire world seems to revolve around how much someone can shatter the hearts of those closest to them.

Ever since that little incident with Isabela two years ago, even Fenris went back to acting like he had before we became friends. Sure, he still talked to me, but he never smiled. I don't even know if he continued practicing reading in the time that passed.

About the only ones that didn't change at all were Isabela, damn her, and sweet Merrill.

Aveline did change a little, but she wasn't around enough for me to tell any difference. After all she was the captain of the guard now.

"And I win again." Isabela chuckled pulling the pile of coins to herself. There was a chorus of groans and curses. She never seemed to lose, she had to be cheating, but no one could prove it for a fact. Even though everyone still played Wicked Grace with her.

"More drinks!" Varric called dealing out the cards again.

I guess he, everyone, figured getting her drunk enough she would slip up and show just how she cheated. But she never did. Oh she got drunk enough to start practically dry humping Garrett. It was kind of funny and sick at the same time.

As soon as he would pull his arm free from her grasp she would latch herself around his chest and giggle uncontrollably. She wasn't really that far gone though.

Weird lady.

"You alright Merrill?"

She jumped and looked up from her cards smiling slightly. "Oh yes. I'm perfectly fine, why wouldn't I be? Everything has been quite nice lately."

"I'm going to go for a walk, you wanta come?" I asked as I stood.

"No, I think I'm getting the hang of this now. I wouldn't want to forget later."

As soon as she declined Anders asked if he could come with me. "How have you been. We haven't talked much." He asked awkwardly as we wandered aimlessly around Low Town.

"Fine, just bored silly I guess. It's quiet at Garrett's estate."

"I'm glad then." He cleared his throat. "And glad you've finally dislodged yourself from that elf."

"Excuse me?" I grabbed onto his robe pulling him to a stop in the middle of the street. It must be close to that time of the month because, 'that elf' comment really set me off. "Are you still going on about it? 'That elf' happens to be my friend."

"He's a wild animal he can't be trusted!" He snapped grabbing my shoulders shaking me.

"Why do you always do this! You always bring up the stupidest things and piss people off!" I slapped his hands away.

"I'm just trying to protect you."

"I think I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." I slammed my hands into his chest several times just daring him to strike back. It wasn't anything that would actually hurt him, hurt me more than it would him, but I'm not about to let him start this again. With a grunt I slapped at his chest one last time before turning around cursing his name and him in general. "I don't want to talk to you again, Anders. Just get lost."

"Valerie!"

"Shove it, Anders!" I yelled back. I adore Anders; he was my best friend and hero if you will, but sometimes I really think I hate him more. I'm grateful that he saved me all those times in the three years I've been here, but it only can go so far.

"Valerie..."

"I said go away!" I barked out turning around, but Anders wasn't behind me. He wasn't anywhere in site. "Asshole." I muttered, he just hid behind the damn corner like a coward. I just need a good long nap once I get back to the estate.

"Valerie..."

Okay seriously Anders I'm going to hurt you for real this time. I turn around ready to slam my fist right into his face, but he's not there. I look around, and the entire street is empty. "Anders, I swear I'm going to knock you senseless if you don't cut this out." I turned around giving a growl to myself, and heard my name called again. I stopped only for a second before I turned around ready to hit whoever was behind me.

But once again, no one was there. This was to weird.

"Anders?..." I could barely hear my own voice it was so low. But it suddenly shot up several octaves."Aah!" I felt something hit my head, the pain ...

…

Isabela and Varric sat at the table waiting for Garrett to show up. Varric's oh so loveable brother had been rumored to be back in Kirkwall, and that news needed to be broken as soon as the mage entered the tavern. Varric cooed to his weapon as he polished it until he could see his reflection in the metal, whispering sweet words of revenge to his beloved Bianca.

Isabela sat with her feet kicked back lounging lazily in her chair picking at her nails with one of her daggers. When Anders came in he sat down in his chair silently causing the dwarf to look up. The mage gave him a weak smile trying to keep his eyes open. After his argument with Valerie he hadn't gotten any sleep.

"Bad night, Blondie?" Varric lay Bianca carefully down on the table giving his friend a concerned stare.

Anders thought for a moment before he sighed and rested his head on the table. Hoping to get a little sleep before everyone else woke up and would prevent him any rest.

"Sleep well, Blondie." Varric whispered. For once Isabela let the man rest without uttering a single word to him. She was tired herself, it was still to early to be to much of a thorn in anyone's side.

As they waited for the other mage Varric and Isabela settled for playing a quiet game. Which didn't last long, the silence that is. Anders plugged his ears moaning painfully into the wooden table trying to block out their banter.

"There you are!" Varric eventually cried out like a ditched date. "We've been waiting all morning on you, and have I got some news for you." He put the deck of cards into his coat for safekeeping, and clapped his hands together motioning for Garrett to sit.

"What ever it is can wait, I'm sure. Have any of you seen Valerie?" Anders pulled a finger out of his ear and peaked out from under his arm.

"Kitten? No, not since last night."

Isabela's normally taunting grin slid from her face. "Why, what's wrong?"

Garrett rubbed at his chin for a moment. "She didn't come home last night." He looked to the two as they stared between themselves trying to figure out just what happened. "I was hoping she was here."

"Alright, let's think about this calmly. She was here last night, and then what?"

Anders' head slowly rose from the table and his face drained of all color going cold. "We went for a walk... and had..."

"Had what, Anders." Garrett turned in his seat ready to beat the information out of the other mage. Anders was ready to take the beating, but would give up the information with or without it.

"An argument... I said some things that upset her. And she left for High Town." He dropped his head shaking it and several locks of hair loose. "Dear maker, she couldn't have run away, could she?" He suddenly thought back to two years ago, when she had ran off to find that orb. There was no reason she should have gone anywhere but the Amell Estate; it wasn't a situation that should have caused her to run off.

"She isn't the type to run from her problems." Varric reassured as he leaned forward trying to rack his brain for any clue.

"Could Valerie have gone to stay with Fenris?" Isabela suggested and just after a familiar voice rejected the idea.

"I have not seen Valerie." The lyrium tattooed elf said as he came within ear shot and leaned on the table between Garrett and Anders. "Is something wrong? Where is she?"

Garrett stood from his seat. "I'm going to see if Merrill has seen her." Varric and Isabela stood from their chairs each saying respectively they were going to ask Carver and Aveline. The four left swiftly after they decided what they were going to do. Even if they were just being paranoid they had to check.

"What have you done..." Fenris accused using a very low and threatening tone. Anders started to say he hadn't done anything, but couldn't know if he was being truthful with himself. "I swear if any harm has come to her, you will die." The tattoos across his body began glowing, he restrained himself quickly thereafter, and stopped before he would rip the mage's heart out.

Fenris only restrained himself for Valerie's sake.

The former slave pushed himself away from the table to catch up with Garrett. Leaving Anders to do whatever he pleased.

Once he found the slightly less annoying mage and the other abomination he looked around expecting to see the human girl. She wasn't there.

"Oh, hello Fenris. I thought you didn't want to come to the Alienage." Merrill cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. "Are you looking for Valerie too? My, I wonder where she ran off to... by the dread wolf, she isn't in trouble is she?" She grabbed onto Garrett's arm worry suddenly sinking in.

"She's fine, Merrill." He added an 'I hope' under his breath hoping she wouldn't hear and become distressful. Their was no way he could deal with a hysterical Merrill now. Quickly they set off toward High Town, running into Varric, Isabela and Aveline. No one had seen Valerie.

"It's to soon to be able to file a missing persons report... she could just be staying with a friend." Aveline sadly reported. "But I'll get someone to look it up. Maybe one of the guards saw her." She suggested quickly after taking one glance at the very angry looking Fenris. He wanted her found now, not in a week when she could be dead.

The red headed captain headed back to the barracks to call on the guards that patrolled the streets around the Amell Estate.

Isabela paced nervously ready to rip the head off the first guard that even looked like he were lying about seeing the girl.

Fenris' gaze jumped to the mage at fault as soon as he entered the barracks. Ready himself to finally rid everyone of his presence. Anders kept his head down avoiding the elf's glare, and stood behind Varric as though his height could hide him.

"It's alright, Blondie. We'll find her." Varric pat the mage on the arm and turned to Fenris. "Come on Elf, things have a way of turning out alright in the end." He smiled, but it was not returned by the elf. "She's going to be just fine." Whether or not he was reassuring Fenris and Anders or himself no one in the room could tell.

"A report just came in this morning." Aveline opened the door nearly sending Isabela to the ground who had been leaning on the door after she stopped pacing. Aveline and Isabela glared at one another, but swiftly remembered they had other worries than the two of them. "A young woman was seen being carried out of town late last night."

"And they didn't stop it!" Fenris jumped right into Aveline's face wholly blaming her for this entire incident. He had the sinking feeling that Valerie was in trouble, but how much so he didn't know.

"It would have been one against seven, now get out of my face." Aveline threatened in as low a voice as she could manage and pushed the elf back. He growled under his breath, barely able to suppress himself from glowing.

"Where did they take her, I'm going after them myself." Fenris said disgusted with the guard standing barely in view behind his captain. Fenris would have charged right in even if the numbers were off to save her, this guard was a coward and needed to be taught a lesson.

"If you don't settle down, I'm going to throw you in a cell!" Aveline threw an arm out pointing toward the stairs. She had other worries than the problems Fenris would cause. If he couldn't calm himself down and think rationally she would restrain him without a second thought. Even he wasn't stupid enough to attack her, or one of her guards in their stronghold.

She motioned for her guardsman to lead the way to where he last seen the woman being carried off before his shift ended. The group followed after him as he checked over his shoulder every few seconds, hoping to not end up with a dagger, arrow or sword in the back. From the looks he was getting from the men and women behind him, he knew it had to be a high possibility.

"They left this way." He stopped and pointed off down the alley way. The group passed by him without so much as a second glace. The guardsman collapsed to his knees thankful to have his life. He needed several stiff drinks after that.

"A dead end...?" Isabela said as she placed her hand against the stone wall.

"No." Garrett threw aside a stack of boxes and barrels revealing a hole small enough for a person to fit through. The group all peaked through the opening at the mountain range outside of the city. Instantly heading in that direction.

"Looks like they went this way." Varric said as he stood from studying several sets of footprints. They looked like they had been trying to hide them, but did a lousy job. Eventually though, they began to become harder to track until they vanished completely. The group searched the entire area, hoping that they could find anything.

What Fenris found let him know they were tracking Valerie. Laying forgotten was the little necklace she treasured most. The chain had been broken off at an angle, letting him know that it was ripped from her neck. She had tried to escape. He could just see it now, the scene playing out in his mind like a night terror.

He clinched the necklace in his fists before placing it gently in a bag at his side.

Not long later the group was stopped by a shout from above. It was the last thing Fenris wanted to deal with now. His former masters fools. He didn't waste a seconds hesitation before he ran straight up the hill, jumped over a rock and sent his hand straight through the man who mocked him, called him a slave.

The group was out numbered two to one, but in Fenris' fury he would have gladly taken them all out alone. Before they knew it the small force of slavers was wiped out. They relaxed for only a moment to catch their breath, save the still fuming Fenris. He was ready to kill anyone else who stood in his way.

Several yards away a lone survivor panted, crawling away from the carnage, hoping that he could somehow miraculously survive.

Fenris however heard the grunts and moans coming from the man, and stalked swiftly over to his sniveling form. He placed his foot into the other mans back causing him to scream in agony.

"Please, don't kill me!" The man begged fruitlessly for his own life. "I'll... I'll tell you anything. Just don't kill me!" He cried again as he face was slammed down into the ground. His nose broke with the force, blood gushing forth and pooling under his face as it was ground into the rock and dirt.

He was torn between finding Danarius and now his missing friend. It all seemed to convenient.

"Where has he taken her!" Fenris growled bent down and grabbed onto the back of the mans head slamming it into the ground again, uncaring if he knocked the man unconscious.

"I-it was Hadriana! We came here under her orders." He was slammed into to the ground for not giving the exact answers that Fenris was looking for. "She's in the Holding Caves, please I'll even guide you to her." Fenris released the man for a second, only enough time for the man to turn around to look at the elf. His face covered in a thick coat of blood and dirt, smeared with sweat and tears.

His vision met with the elfs feet, and a strange haunting glow. Fenris reached down in one fluid movement plunged his hand through the human mages body, and ripped his heart from his chest. The man violently convulsed as he watched the last fleeting images of his pathetic life vanish before his eyes.

"Hadriana..." Fenris spat her name out of his mouth as though the mere thought was rancid. Now he was even more furious than before. "I was a fool to think I was free!" He turned to face his companions, each of whom nearly backed away. Now they were after him again, he had gotten to comfortable in the fact that nothing had happened. And now to get to him they had taken the one thing he treasured most.

Because of him, now she was involved. He never should have let her come close to him. Her kindness toward him had only been repaid by getting kidnapped. Held ransom for his return to the wolf stalking him.

He had to hurry, there was no telling what Hadriana had done to her, what she could be doing or would do if he didn't show up. Fenris turned to head straight to the Holding Caves, but was knocked from his feet and slammed down to the ground.

Garrett had pined him down holding his arms down and placed a knee in the middle of the smaller males back. Fenris growled out in rage and betrayal ready to turn on the mage.

"Get a hold of yourself!" Garrett barked holding him easily from turning about and ripping him apart. He used a force spell to push him painfully against the ground. Fenris' vision wavered for a moment before he regained his senses. He stopped thrashing, and lay still. His mind clearing up from having the sense knocked back into him. Garrett stood releasing him from his hold, and let the elf stand to brush himself off.

"Thank you." He muttered knowing that it was just the other man's way of trying to help.

He still felt like he had been betrayed in a way, but knew that if he went to Hadriana as he was, it would only end with his death and possibly Valerie's.